rook01 said

So get the kids to commute for the games too! If we are CHARGING THEM to park on game days then that would be a stupid thing to do! Winning will help a lot . And hate to day it but the 41-7 halftime scores didn't help keep them there sadly! We gotta somehow install more FAU PRIDE in the students to watch THEIR TEAMS (ALL SPORTS!) from start to finish, win or lose!!!!!

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Last year UCF averaged nearly 36000. I know that still seems low for a team that is in a bigger conference, but I think their stadium has a capacity around 45000. So last year they filled 80% of the seats. That would be averaging 24000 in FAU's stadium, and I am not sure how many times we have ever gotten that many to a game (much less considered averaging that). Keep winning and it will get better - but I think this is how things go now given kid's interest in doing things other than supporting their school or attending sporting events. Again, the saddest thing to me was the low turnout in the sections that are supposed to be the "real" fans - it was just as empty there as it was everywhere else in the stadium.

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I hate to admit these statements are true, but I'm not expecting a sudden influx of fans (even though there should be).

My wife and I had this conversation this morning. To fill the stadium, you need the students to attend, alumni to travel back, local clubs and fans to set aside time to go, local athletes/teams/leagues to be interested in watching, local businesses to buy season tickets for networking opportunities, etc.

UF seats 90,000 but it's not only Gainesville residents attending the games.

It's tough work but you gotta keep winning and hyping up the gameday experience to those around you.

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I just kind of felt bad for my daughter - she is a freshman, and we have been to a total of 3 FAU games (missed one due to a trip to NC for a death in the family). Her first game was Navy, and it had hype and excitement and was what she hoped for in a gameday experience at her school. She is an over-the-top football fan, and eventually wants to major/work in multimedia something or another (whatever the hell that is) covering sports or working for a sports-related company/organization. She was apologizing to me about the lack of a crowd, and I told her to go back and tell all her classmates, dorm friends, sorority sisters, etc. that they just missed out on yet another set of records being set by this team and the most impressive offensive display I have ever witnessed in person. And all of those people already had tickets because their fees grant them access!!!

That isn't going to make a dent with more than 1% of the people she interacts with, but the school needs to start with the kids on campus and with some very targeted and public campaigns with both recent grads and the community. I know they have some of those campaigns, but they need to be in an all-out offensive to try and get to the people who are still close enough to make it to games. Give away tickets to sports organizations, slash prices for a "package" for the last 2 home games, or do whatever you can to put people in the seats - no revenue from free or reduced tickets to me is better for the appearance of the program and can lead to somebody coming to another game and becoming a fan.

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And I still believe (as I have from day 1 of the stadium) that our ticket prices are WAY too high. We are paying $58 (PLUS FEES and PARKING) for the Marshall game and there are of course much HIGHER ticket prices.

Too much for what has been a VERY BAD PRODUCT for nearly 10 years!

DROP em til we get good enough to sell out the high priced home/midfield sections and THEN raise em with demand!!!!

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Another important factor for attendance is that University of Miami is ranked 8 (I don't know how they haven't really beaten anybody good and have had many close games with unranked opponents). Considering this, people may choose to spend their "football money" to see them instead of FAU.

I am going to keep going to the FAU and having a great time but I would still expect 20k at the most this season until we go to or win a bowl game.

Another thing is that I hope Kiffin doesn't decide to leave this year because Tennessee fans really want him but I am not sure if he would want to go there and have to play Nick Saban's team every year.